R(emnant)PG - Update 01!
by Lord Terronus
Summary: I never wanted to enter into a parallel world, nor did I want to join in on one of my favourite shows. Well, maybe I wanted it a little. But I've been given a chance that I never thought possible. It has costed me a great deal, but with what little I have left, and a little bit of supernatural power, I've made it my mission to save this world, and carve out a space for myself!
1. Chapter 1 - It Begins

**R(emnant)PG –Update 1.1!**

**Chapter 001 – It Begins **

"_**Identity cannot be found or fabricated but emerges from within when one has the courage to let go." **_

* * *

Do you ever have that one _really _strange dream, that one that sticks with you, and you're never quite sure if any of it really happened or you just have some deep seeded mental issues that your brain isn't ready to process?

Yeah, that's basically my life now.

It started perfectly normally. I spent my day watching anime, laughing at the internet, and went to bed, content in the knowledge that my unremarkable life was just one day shorter.

Wait, content is the wrong word. Ah, _terrified_! That's what I meant! That very concept terrified me. And as such, my reaction to waking up in a formless black void lacking all sensation my body once felt was completely understandable.

"AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHHHHH!" was about all I was capable of saying, thinking, or comprehending for a period of time which I could only assume was several minutes.

That was, until I was interrupted. A voice rang out in the darkness.

**[Greetings! Allow me to be the first to welcome you to… uh, is this a bad time?] **

Fortunately, this seemed to be enough to at least briefly stop my panic attack regarding my apparent demise. On the other hand, it then led to a secondary panic attack regarding my own sanity. That too was quickly stopped by the knowledge that I had gotten this far in my years of existence with_out_ questioning my sanity.

**[Ahem! As I was saying, Allow me to be the first to welcome you, User, to a very special experience. You have been selected for a rare, one-of-a-kind multiversal experiment. Interested?] **

Hesitant to speak, I attempted a simple nod. It was at that point where I noticed that I seemed to lack the ability to move my head. Or my limbs. Or my body. Did I already start panicking? Because I think that this is an appropriate moment to panic.

**[Please, stay calm. This is all part of the process. Allow me to explain the details!] **

**[You have been authorised for a Guided Adventurous Material and Ethereal Reality, or GAMER experience. You may be familiar with the concept if you've ever read Fanfiction or web comics before.] **

"I-I think so?" I was surprised to find that I could still speak, though strangely not about how my voice had transformed into a much more vague and indistinct state. It held emotion but was still distinctly inhuman.

**[Don't worry, I'm here to run you through the basics! I am known as System. I will serve both as your guide and your interface for the foreseeable future. Ready to start?] **

I was pretty much convinced at this point that I was either dead, clinically insane, or both, so rather than question the absurdity of this occurrence, I simply sighed.

"Fuck it, why not?" I said quietly. It was basically all I _could_ do right now. Fortunately, it seemed to be the correct answer.

**[Great! Now, let's start with getting you a body. Character creation **_**is **_**important, and you won't be able to change it later, so take care with the options.] **

"Gah!" I yelped in shock as a box suddenly appeared in front of me. It appeared to be a small, semi-transparent cube, written on which was a short sentence and two options.

**[Please select your gender – Male or Female.] **

"Wait, so I can just _change _it? Just like that?" I muttered in confusion. It made some sense, since I appeared to be creating some form of new body for myself but it still seemed unusual. I tried to reach forwards, but quickly remembered something.

"Wait, how does this work? I-I don't think I have, you know, hands. Do I just talk or-" My unusual ramblings were cut short as the voice – System – spoke again.

**[Ah, right! You're new at this. There are two types of commands, Hard and Soft. Soft commands work both mentally and verbally. They're set as default so just think, and I'll handle the rest.] **

"Huh. Neat, I guess…" I muttered. Curious, I decided to test, and looked over to the box yet again. It still sat there, flickering faintly.

"_Male." _I thought.

The moment I finished the word, there was a loud 'DING' noise and the box disappeared, its top and bottom half meeting as it did so. It was then that I suddenly _felt _something. I found my gaze, the only thing I had access to beyond my mind, looking down, and noticing a torso growing beneath me, with shoulders and arms not far behind. It watched, mesmerised as a shimmering effect progressed down further, producing legs. Feet quickly followed it, and experimentally I flexed them. They were certainly present. I could indeed feel… something. I felt as though I was somehow swimming through some kind of smoke or air, and the thought brought a gasp from me. Blinking with new eyes, I saw faint mist coursing around the void I was in.

"Wow… That was just… wow." I failed to articulate any appropriate words, transfixed on my brand new hands. They appeared blank and formless, though still distinctly humanoid. I sighed in relief. At least I had a body now.

"What now?" My voice sounded more distinct, the faint echo of an English accent rasping its way out of a throat that lacked presence moments before.

**[Well, next up is Species. If we were using your home server, this wouldn't be an issue, but this is a bit more… complicated.] **

The System itself had a more clear voice too, presumably the result of my new set of ears. It sounded female, and light at that.

"What do you mean 'complicated'? What home server?" I nervously asked. I had a feeling the answer wouldn't exactly be pleasing.

**[Don't panic, but your Home Server- Which you might know as Earth or maybe Universe Prime – is currently on lockdown. The GAMER can't run there. The hardware isn't compatible.] **

I nodded. Whatever this was, it was certainly not something that had ever – or perhaps _could _ever exist on Earth. The 'hardware' being referenced was probably some kind of reference to the Laws of Reality, or something similar. As I came to this realisation - surprisingly calmly- I could have sworn I heard fingers snapping.

**[I knew you'd get it! See, your Homeworld isn't compatible, but found within your memories are plenty of 'fictional' worlds which will do. A world has been randomly selected for this, and I think you'll like it!] **

"Okay, shoot. Where am I going?" I said. I felt like I should be more upset or shocked about vanishing off of the face of the Earth, but I suppose it hadn't quite sunk in yet. I made a mental note to have a suitably large panic attack about it later.

**[I'm glad you asked! The world selected is… Remnant, the world of RWBY!] **

The System was right. I _did _like that world. It certainly could have chosen much worse places to live. At least there was a good chance of any weapon also being a gun, and the people would still speak English. And, as a bonus, assuming this was the same world as the series I watched, then I had an advantage.

Knowledge of the future!

**[Easy there, User. You'll still have to finish making your new self first. Now, I believe we were on Species?] **

"Right, right." I had practically forgotten about the character creation I was supposed to be doing, so caught up in a strange mix of excitement and discomfort. On the one hand, I got to live in and anime universe. Yay!

On the other hand, I could be killed by a whole lot of evil monsters. Boo!

"It's Human or Faunus, right?" I asked. Those were the main humanoid races shown in the series, but I didn't want to assume anything. The System was certainly unusual enough to have come up with other options.

**[Correct! Faunus possess a randomized animal trait and its associated abilities, if it has any, as well as natural night vision. On the other hand, Humans are the dominant species and have an easier time interacting with others. Both options are good choices. So, what'll it be?] **

I hummed in response. At first glance, human may have seemed like the best option, as it was what I was used to- having lived as one for all my life- but Faunus still seemed like a good choice, with more practical advantages.

And if I was going to face off against the embodiments of darkness, I needed as much of those as I could get.

"Faunus." I decided. After a moment, there was another 'DING' and instantly I felt something new in my body. It was rather surreal, though no more so than growing a body in the first place. I checked myself, looking for some kind of tail. I saw nothing.

**[Don't worry, you'll see what you've got once we finish up here. The next bunch of options are all for your basic appearance, so I'll leave you to that. Fair warning though, be careful when adjusting… Certain body parts.] **

I could practically hear the embarrassment in the System's voice. I rolled my eyes with a small grin on my face. It was odd for such an entity to show such emotions – or, at least, it seemed odd. I had no context, after all. Maybe this was normal. I shrugged, and went to face another box. It was larger than the others, and a mirror appeared beside it, showing my face. The eyes were a dull grey, and the other features were small and unrefined. The head was completely blank upon a dull grey skin. Like everything thus far, it seemed so unreal, and yet clearly real at the same time. I sighed.

"This is supposed to be me? No, no, no. This will not do." I attempted to crack my fingers but the noise was faint, and unsettlingly uniform.

"Time to fix this."

* * *

It took me hours – or at least, I think it did – to manage to piece together an appearance I was satisfied with. The process of messing with my facial features alone had me reeling back into early stages of panic. It was one thing to experience this sort of thing from behind a screen, but to be living it? To feel the sensations run across my new skin, the tingling of faint yet constant winds across my brand new hair, to watch as my eyes filled with colours as I adjusted them?

And that wasn't even getting _into _the strangeness that was adjusting my own –

**[OKAY! I think you're ready. You're lookin' good, User! Although, I have to ask, were the **_**eyes**_** really necessary?] **

I curiously gazed upwards, in the direction I would assume the voice to come from. In reality, it was more omnipresent, but I figured if it was some kind of supernatural being, it was probably looking down on me.

"What's wrong with my eyes?" I accused. I thought they were perfectly fine, like the rest of my new body's appearance.

They were just Silver. That was all.

**[Nothing's wrong! In fact, it's a rather good choice. Just something to consider. Anyway, how about the rest? Are you happy with it?] **

I hummed as I thought on it. I had given myself a lean, muscular build. Strong enough to be capable of surviving, but not too much so as to make myself a tank build. I wasn't sure if any of the physical elements really mattered, but it still felt important to keep in mind.

It also looked really good, to be fair. If only working out was _this _easy.

Otherwise, I had a head of short hair that was dirty blonde in colour. It was spiked lightly, but otherwise was fairly unremarkable. It rested upon my new, faintly tanned skin which spread smoothly across the previous grey layer of whatever my new body was made of. There was a small nose and small ears, with a set of perfectly white teeth below. My new body stood at just barely six feet tall, drifting in the void. There was just one thing missing.

"Please tell me I'm not being sent to another world naked." I quipped. I wasn't sure why, but my new body seemed to come with new confidence. I was glad. It would allow me to save time on panic attacks.

**[As good a sight as that would be, I'm afraid not. Here are the clothing options. You don't have a whole lot of choice now, but you'll be able to get more later. For now, you really just need something to throw on.] **

"Got it." I replied as another box appeared in front of me, reflecting my new naked body. I scanned my eyes over the options briefly, noticing the disparity between the available options compared to what I could do with my body. I decided to select some basic boxers, which materialised over my body, perfectly tailor fit. Comfortable too.

Whatever this strange System was, it made for a damn good tailor.

Eager to get things going, I rushed to select a plain black T-Shirt and dark blue jeans, but stopped as I noticed something. Another black T-shirt, but with a small emblem on the chest. It appeared to be a stylised crown of gold. I was somehow transfixed by it, and so selected it quickly. It emerged on my body a moment later. I considered shoes, but for some reason decided against them, and as such I was set to go barefoot. I grinned and looked back up.

"_Now _are we ready?" I smiled.

**[Almost, I swear. Before we go out into the big wide world, you'll need a name. I also have just a **_**little **_**more explaining to do, but we can cover that once we're there!" **

"A name? That's easy, it's-" My mouth moved but no words came out. Suddenly worried, I tried again. "My name is-" Yet again, my actual name seemed to be impossible to say. I frantically panicked, attempting to pull on my mouth to no avail.

I had lost my name.

Somehow, that realisation struck me like a truck that carried nothing but piles of bricks. It was hardly the most strange occurrence that had happened in the past few hours, Hell, it was probably the least strange, but it stuck with me. I felt suddenly weak.

**[I'm afraid a new name is required, User. I cannot let you leave without one. Sorry.] **

I gulped nervously as a blank box showed itself in front of me. It only had four words, and I found myself somehow strangely revolted by them.

**[Enter Your New Name.] **

"Fine." I gritted out. I found my body shaking and my new hands clenching tightly into fists. "I'll play along. But I want to make one thing clear."

**[Oh? Very well. What is it you want to say?] **

The System sounded nervous, but not scared or surprised. I hesitated, curious, but shook my head. This was important.

"I won't forget myself."

I stepped forward, and, briefly looking down, placed a new name down into the box. It shimmered away, and the System spoke once more.

**[Fine by me, User – Oh. Sorry, Fine by me, 'Rex Aurum!' Now, are you ready to begin?] **

Was I? Everything that was happening was a complete mess, and I had no idea if any of it was even real. My life that had once seemed so mundane before was crumbling to pieces. I had no idea if I would ever see normality again. But there was only one thing I could do. Maybe only one thing I _should _do.

Keep Moving Forward.

"I'm ready." I spoke, blinked,

And the world began.

* * *

**[**_**Ah, readers! It is I, the System, briefly taking this opportunity to address you all. I have a message from The Author that he wants to show you. Transcribing now!**_**] **

**So, here it is. A brand new RWBY Fanfic. I haven't had this idea for too long but my mind is already racing with the possibilities! I should mention that it's not quite **_**entirely **_**new, since it's technically a rewrite of an earlier work of mine. I'll leave the original up just for fun. Anyways, I have plenty of plans for this new Gamer story, and I hope you'll enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. **

**Time to take things to the next level! **

_**[Transcription End. That's all for now. I better shut the fourth wall before reality breaks down. See Ya!]**_


	2. Chapter 2 - Golden Fields

**R(emnant)PG – Update 1.1! **

**Chapter 002 – Golden Fields **

* * *

I awoke to find myself lying on the ground. It certainly was no bed, managing to firmly disavow any doubts about whether or not this was all a dream. That certainly shocked me. Probably more than it should have. After all, I had felt everything first hand. I had experienced it all, and there was no way it was a dream. It was too real.

"_But still…" _I couldn't help but think. _"I… I miss my name…" _My eyes stung, but I bore it as I heaved myself up off of the ground. There was little point in moping about it, now that it had happened. Still, it wasn't all bad. At least I got superpowers out of the deal!

"Speaking of which…" I quipped as I rose from the ground. My new body seemed perfectly clean, despite having appeared suddenly onto the dirt. The System was quiet, despite it claiming earlier to have more to say. Curious, I struggled to think on how to address it.

"System. Status." I called out, speaking mechanically. The System remained quiet, but a box appeared in front of me instantly. It was noticeably larger than the option boxes before, and was filled with text. I began to examine it.

**[Rex Aurum – Level 1] **

**[HP – 100/100] **

**[AP – Locked] **

**[MP – Locked] **

**[STR – 10] **

**[DEX – 10] **

**[INT – 10] **

**[WIS – 10] **

**[CHR – 10] **

**[LUK – 10] **

"STR? LUK? What the hell is this stuff?" I asked myself, gazing at the data being displayed before me. I could fairly easily tell that they were some kind of statistics, not dissimilar to the kind found in RPGs. What exactly any of it actually meant? I had no idea. Two stood out to me more than the others – the two listed as 'Locked'. MP might have referred to some kind of Magic system, but AP could mean anything.

**[AP stands for Aura Points.] **

"Gah!" I recoiled as the familiar voice of the System spoke for the first time since my arrival. To be fair, it had only been a few minutes or so, but I was still frightened none the less. "Where did you come from? And how long have you been there?" I yelled frantically, more surprised than genuinely confused.

**[Um, I've been here the whole time. I'm the interface, remember? In a way, you reading that box is like you glaring at me. **_**I **_**should be the one frightened.] **

I blinked. Huh. I forgot that whilst the System was clearly its own entity capable of speech, it was also the interface that I had been operating. The two seemed so different, with one speaking to me and the other presenting boxes of text, that I honestly missed the fact that they were one and the same.

"R-right. Sorry." I stammered, embarrassed. I _sincerely _hoped that my first exposure to a parallel world wasn't my face going red, but the heat in my face seemed to contradict that notion.

"A-anyway," I pressed on. "What are all these numbers? And what does 'Aura Points' mean?" I enquired. The System replied happily.

**[I'm so glad you asked!] **

It's almost child-like excitement shocked me for a moment.

**[Okay, so as you've probably figured out, these are all of your Stats. They're a measurement of your current abilities. There are six main categories of Stats, so just poke the one you want explained and I'll tell you all about it! Oh, and also, by your standards, I'm female.] **

I nodded along, despite the widening of my eyes at that last point. Considering the feminine voice, it really shouldn't have been surprising, but the System struck me as being more disconnected from human standards.

"Or Faunus, I guess…" I added in a whisper. "Okay, what's the first one?" I said, pressing the Stat labelled 'STR'. The System hummed in response.

**[STR stands for Strength. That one's all about how hard you hit, and how well you can take hits. It's crucial for both offence and defence, so keep an eye on it if you wanna go into combat. The higher it is, the stronger your blows – regardless of weapons – and the better you block – regardless of armours.] **

I raised an eyebrow. It seemed odd for weapons and armour to not be affected by my stats, but I supposed it did mean that if I balanced properly, I might still be capable of fighting unarmed. I tapped on the next stat, 'DEX'.

**[DEX is for Dexterity. It's all about your speed and agility. It doesn't seem like it, but there are a **_**lot **_**of problems you can escape if you can avoid them. It's also pretty handy for stealth. It allows for quick movement and navigation of surroundings, so keep an eye on it. STR and DEX are basically the 'Combat Stats, best for a front-line fighter.] **

"I see." I murmured. If these Stats were the ones centred around combat, I supposed the others were more useful outside of it. Though I could admit to some curiosity regarding their quality. How much was 10 points worth? I had to find out.

I grinned, and started dashing forwards. The box moved itself to go beside me so as to not impede my view, and I ran. I laughed as the wind rushed through my hair. I knew I was running fast, certainly faster than I ever had in my previous life – my old body. I was never very athletic before, but I could still manage to run at a decent pace. Probably because my old body weighed so little.

But this? It was on a whole other level!

I stopped myself just before running into a nearby tree, and pulled my fist back as I swiftly adopted some sort of basic fighting stance, and slammed it into the tree.

And I regretted doing so a moment later.

"Ow!" I cried out, pulling my hand back. It was throbbing mildly, and I guessed it would probably leave a bruise. I glared back at the tree, but a grin appeared on my face a moment later.

The tree was now fairly heavily dented, and the dented area was filled with cracks.

"That is so cool!" I yelled I my excitement. I quickly took a moment to calm myself before I heard the System practically yell in my head.

**[Jeez, don't just do things like that! If I had a heart, you'd have given me a heart attack!] **

I winced at the sudden noise, and also the concern it – or _she _, I supposed – held in her voice. It was still odd to hear her speak so emotionally. I figured it was just another thing I would have to get used to. Perhaps I should make a list…

"Sorry. I just wanted to try it out. Didn't mean to worry you." I apologised. The System let out a sigh of relief.

**[Just don't do it again, or at least give me a warning the next time you try breaking your hand. Honestly. Maybe I put your INT Stat too high.] **

"Hey!" I cried. "You didn't give me any warning before taking me out of my life. You didn't warn me when you took away my body, _or_ my name! You didn't warn me when you made me abandon my entire _fucking _life! So don't you _dare_ start judging me." The sudden outburst caught both of us by surprise. The System was quiet for a moment, seemingly stunned.

**[Y…You're right. I'm sorry. Maybe I overstepped my bounds there…] **

"You think?" I retorted, still feeling irritated. I felt I could go on, but stopped myself. Complaining wouldn't change anything. It would only make things difficult. For better or worse, we were both stuck with each other, so I couldn't afford to stay angry.

"Whatever." I sighed. "How about we just keep going with the Stats. What's next?" I asked, tapping the 'INT' stat. The System seemed relieved with the distraction.

**[O-oh. Right! 'Ahem'. ] **

She steadied herself before explaining.

**['INT' stands for Intellect, or Intelligence. Whichever you prefer. It's your ability to process information and understand it. The higher it is, the more you'll be able to understand, and it'll be easier as it goes up too! Though I should note, you still have to actually **_**learn **_**stuff yourself. INT is just how much sense it makes. It's useful for any careful, precise work, such as weapon or armour design. You'll probably need this one most!] **

"I'm detecting some sarcasm there…" I quipped. The earlier anger was forgotten, and I sunk back into comfortable humour instead. I hummed, considering the System's words. It made sense, but I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't really any way of me testing that Stat like the previous two.

"I guess we'll have to stop by a Library later or something." I said, both to myself and the System. The box in front of me seemed to tip forwards briefly, a gesture which seemed remarkably similar to a nod.

**[Good plan. So, 'WIS' next?] **

"Go for it." I shrugged as I tapped on the next Stat. The System quickly dived into another explanation.

**['WIS' stands for Wisdom. Whilst INT allows you to understand information, WIS allows you to question it. It allows for more careful thinking about information, and the ability to rationalise it. It also allows you to counter CHR, which I'll explain in a second. Effectively, in human terms, you can 'call people out on their BS' with WIS. It's at least as important as INT. These two make up the 'Scholar Stats', perfect for the inquisitive mind!] **

I nodded at the explanation. Yet again, this seemed to be another Stat that I wouldn't be able to test. Not until I found some sources of information in the middle of some random field. I still hadn't figured out exactly where I was; only that it wasn't any area that I recognised from the show.

"I guess that makes sense." I mused. "It would be pretty hard to explain me randomly showing up in the middle of a populated area, but no one is going to notice me in an empty field. But what would be the point of hiding me, anyway?" The question stuck out in my mind. Whilst it might have been hard to explain my appearance, it would be at least just _as _hard to explain my lack of records. I doubted my rebirth into this world came with a birth certificate.

"So, that means that there's some reason I have to be hidden, specifically…" I muttered, deep in thought. It was then that realisation struck. "My eyes!" I called out, gesturing to the orbs sitting within my face.

They shone with a silver light.

**[Oh, you **_**did **_**notice them! I thought you had forgotten. There's no way I was going to send you into anyone's line of fire this early. Not with those!] **

"Line of fire? You mean Ozpin, or Salem right?" I guessed. Both were very powerful individuals who would have a vested interest in my particular choice of eye colour. One would seek to control them, the other to destroy them. Spawning me in a populated area was bound to attract attention, which either side could take advantage of. But there was something else, too.

"What do you mean 'this early'? Where exactly are we, timeline-wise?" I asked, suddenly curious. The System seemed to hum in response before answering.

**[Currently, we have arrived about one year prior to what we'll call 'Canon' for want of a better term. Also, whilst not entirely related, your current body is aged at your previous 16 years of life.] **

My jaw dropped. I had no idea what kind of answer I was expecting to receive from that question, nor what kind of answer I _wanted_ to hear. The only thing I was certain of at that moment was that this was _not _it.

"A year? That's… a lot." I said dumbly, my surprise overpowering any more intellectual response. On the bright side, this gave me a full year to make plans, prepare for the events to come, and to gather up the resources needed. It would also give me plenty of time to prepare with my powers, and master them.

On the other hand, this meant I had a whole _year _of unknown quantities. My greatest advantage – my knowledge of the future- would be completely useless for a long period of time. I could prepare for it, but how? What could I possibly do so far out of my depth.

Well, I suppose I could start by finishing off my little tutorial.

"So, what the heck is CHR?" I pressed on, both with my words and my finger which was firmly prodding the Stat window. The System dutifully answered.

**['CHR' stands for Charisma. Or Charm, if you prefer. Either way, it's your ability to manipulate people, or coerce or convince them. It also combats any social anxiety. It's useful if you ever have to talk with people for any reason, especially gaining their trust. I'd highly advise putting points in here whenever possible.] **

I nodded along with the explanation. "And what about LUK?" I asked, clicking the icon at the end of the box.

**[Oh, LUK should be obvious. It's Luck! It provides a small boost to every other Stat, and also increases your chances of succeeding at stuff. In a way, it's kind of both the least important **_**and **_**most important Stat on the list. You decide what to do with it. These last two Stats are just the 'Miscellaneous Stats' that don't quite fit with the others.] **

I raised an eyebrow. The System had made a point of reminding me one way or another to invest in every other stat. But she seemed to genuinely be at a loss for what to do with Luck. It was certainly odd. I shrugged, deciding that it probably wasn't worth investigating just yet.

**[Uh… We should probably wrap this up…] **

The System trailed off, seeming nervous. It caught me by surprise, and I grew suddenly wary. My eyes carefully scanned the environment,

They locked onto a pair of glowing red orbs, attached to body covered in mangled black fur. Upon its head lay a shape like a skull that shone brightly in the sunlight.

It was a Beowolf.

"Oh shit…"

* * *

**[Readers! We meet again! It is I, System, here to transcribe another message from the author! Transcribing now...] **

_**Apologies for this chapter lacking in excitement. To make up for it, I'll be publishing chapters 2 and 3 simultaneously. I had to cover a lot of exposition this time around. Not the most exciting, I know- **_

**[Hey! My information was 100% compelling! You were all on the edge of your seats, weren't you Readers?!] **

_***Ahem* Right. Anyway, Chapter 3 should have a bit more action, and I'll try and pace the info-dumps better in future but this WAS pretty important info for the story. Anyway, until next time, **_

_**I'll see you all on the next level! **_

**[Transcription End. Welp, that's all for now. I shall see you all next time. Who knows? It might be soonser than you think...]**


	3. Chapter 3 - Golden Fields Pt II

**R(emnant)PG – Update 1.1! **

**Chapter 003 – Golden Fields Pt II **

* * *

The monstrous mass of the Beowolf glared harshly into my silver eyes, its breath coming out in deep rasps. I gulped in fear.

The creature of Grimm could smell it. It tensed.

"Uh… any weapons nearby? Or any spells I can use? Anything?" I cautiously pleaded with the System, backing away slowly as I did so. I had just gotten here, for God's sake, and now I was going to face death by mauling.

**[Not much… Wait! Try spreading your hands open!] **

"How will that help?!"

**[No time, just do it!] **

I flinched at the sudden volume, and the monster began its approach. With no other choice open to me, I did as the System said, and splayed my hands open. They were still tense, shaking slightly. There was a sudden 'CLICK' as I did so. Curious, I looked down.

And I smiled.

"Oh, you beauties." I grinned down. Upon each of my fingers and thumbs lay some very sharp animal claws. Looking down revealed the same sight to be found on my toes. My grin grew, and I took a stance, facing the monster yet again.

"Ok. This will work. I can work with this. I got this." I struggled to reassure myself, as the monster continued to pace towards me. The hairs on my body stood on end for a moment, but just as quickly as it happened, it stopped, and a strange calm settled over me. It came matched with a sudden determination. My eyes switched from near-terrified weeping, to a steady gaze.

The creature stopped mere metres away from me. It tilted its head, seemingly confused at the sudden shift in my attitude. I didn't blame it. I had no idea what it was anyway.

But that didn't matter now. Only one thing did.

Survival.

Wordlessly, I charged forwards, dashing at incredible speed towards my enemy. The creature tensed, attempting to bring up its arm for a slash with its mighty claws.

I dived underneath at the last second, its arm passing harmlessly over me. I brought my hands into its stomach, slashing at its flesh with ferocity. The creature howled in pain as my hands came away, pieces of its flesh dissolving in my fingers.

It didn't take long for it to react. With its other arm, it batted me back with unexpected force. A gasp of air escaped me. It didn't relent for a moment, charging towards me on all fours and ramming me into a tree. Coincidentally the same one I had punched earlier.

A bitter laugh escaped me, though my voice was hoarse from the impact. "Bad move." I gritted out, a slight grin on my face. The creature's eyes glared up at me, seeming to question me.

I answered swiftly, clawing at its face.

"Get the hell… OFF ME!" I yelled as I tore at its bone-like mask. I forced my hands into fists, and rammed them down into the creature's snout. It was forced to push back, and I pressed the advantage, kicking at its body before it could react. The claws on my feet scraped further on its flesh.

It struck me again in its pained fury, making me scream in pain. It seemed delighted.

"Laugh it up, fuzzball." I glared at it, before dashing behind the tree. The earlier impact had only added to its damage. It looked about ready to collapse.

Perfect.

"Hah!" I yelled, bringing my fists onto the tree once more. The wood groaned, and I struck it once more. With a mighty heave, it crashed down.

Right onto the creature, pinning it to the ground.

"Not… so fun now, I-is it?" I forced out. I was bruised, battered and exhausted. The creature however, was cut up, bleeding. I supposed that meant I was winning.

I hauled my way over to the creature as it struggled to push the tree off from its massive form. To its credit, the tree did rise slightly. It seemed it could lift it given time.

I wouldn't let it.

"RARGH!" It let out a roar as I pressed my foot onto one of its arms, and twisted. The force was intense, and I heard a 'CRACK' ring out. The creature howled again.

"Don't you ever _shut up_?!" I gritted out, bringing my fist towards its other arm. It yelped as I pushed it away from the tree, and proceeded to pummel it. It took a little longer than the first arm, but yet again it cracked under the pressure. I kept going until red fluid came forth.

"RARG-" I cut off its roar by clamping its jaws shut with my hands. It growled and struggled, tossing and turning its head violently. I glared back to it and refused to let go. I struggled as it attempted to open its maw once more, but I forced it shut before any sound could escape.

"Hey!" I barked at it. "I said… STAY. QUIET!" I rammed my head into its hard skull mask. Pain lanced through my skull, and I felt something warm come down, but smirked when I saw the mask begin to crack, revealing what looked like burnt flesh, black like the rest of it.

The creature glared, but it lacked the hatred it held moments ago. Instead, it seemed somehow apprehensive. It tried to growl again, but all that it could muster was a whimper.

Fear, I realised. It was afraid of me.

Good.

"You should be." I glared into it. The last thing it saw were two silver orbs, reflecting the fury in its own red eyes, magnifying the image. I brought forth my hand,

And pounded down, forcing my hand through its head.

* * *

The creature's body faded into dust, dissolving into the air as I collapsed onto the ground. Blood still trickled down my face, but I couldn't care less. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or perhaps the blood loss – which appeared to be stopping surprisingly quickly – but only one thought filled my head, and it filled me with glee.

"I won!" I weakly cheered. It seemed stupid to consider this a victory with the damage I had received, but come on! I just killed a giant demonic wolf monster with my bare hands, cut me some slack!

**[Impressive! I wasn't sure you would make it. You almost didn't. But, you somehow managed it. And, as a reward, you just levelled up for the first time! Congrats!] **

"Yeah, I'm surprised too-" My words were cut off as a sudden rush of energy flooded me. I sprang up off of the ground, feeling replenished. More than that, even. I felt full to brim with energy.

"Woah…" I uttered. I had no words to describe the sensation. It was incredible! "System, Status!" I called out. The familiar box obliged my request.

**[Rex Aurum – Level 2] **

**[HP – 110/110] **

**[AP – Locked] **

**[MP – Locked] **

**[LP – 5 Available] **

**[STR – 10] **

**[DEX – 10] **

**[INT – 10] **

**[WIS – 10] **

**[CHR – 10] **

**[LUK – 10] **

"So, LP is Level Points, right? Do I just put them in the Stats?" I guessed. It was apparently correct, as the box tilted in a sort of nodding gesture. I grinned.

"So, let's try two in INT, two in CHR, and one in LUK." I spoke. The box responded, allocating the points in line with my statement. Based on my encounter, my Combat Stats were fine for now, but I had no way of testing the others. It was best to err on the side of caution regarding those, and they seemed like they would be useful, especially later on.

Plus, maybe my LUK would allow me to _not _be attacked by a giant monster almost as soon as I showed up! That seemed pretty important right about now!

"We should probably get moving. I got pretty lucky there, but I don't think I can get another tree to collapse on the next one." I shuddered at the thought. Really, I was lucky I could pin it down. Otherwise, I had no idea what might have happened.

**[Good plan. The nearest populated area is about an hour's walk away. I'll pin it on the map. Just check that by thinking or saying 'Map'.] **

I nodded as another box came forth, this one displaying a single image of a map. As I thought, I was on the edge of some kind of field, with a small farm close by. Beyond, the area became more forested, but there was a straight pathway running towards a nearby village, marked with an arrow. The map closed, and at the top of my vision a compass appeared, with the arrow shown upon it.

"Let's go." I sighed, before moving forth.

* * *

Oscar Pines watched from afar, as the golden haired man marched off confidently. He seemed unfazed by the Beowolf he had just killed. It was an intense fight that he saw, but the Golden Haired Man was relentless, constantly talking and yelling at the beast. He seemed unafraid the whole time.

"So cool…" He whispered in awe. He himself had been frozen with terror, his eyes transfixed on the fight. He had seen the occasional small Grimm, but nothing as big as a Beowolf before. If it wasn't for the stranger at the edge of the fields, he was sure he would have died.

"Maybe one day… I can be as fearless as-" He was cut off by a shout from the farm.

"Oscar! Dinner's ready!" His aunt yelled. Oscar turned back to face her, a smile on his face.

"Coming!" He called back, running forth. He stopped briefly, taking one last look back. The stranger was gone. He smiled before heading back.

He had to tell his family about this!

* * *

It didn't take long to find the long stony path to civilisation. According to the map, the nearest village was a place called Xion. It looked small, but with little to go on but a small icon on a map, I couldn't say how true that was. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but I didn't remember it from anything significant. This meant one of two things:

Possibility 1 – It was an entirely safe piece of background information, and I would be perfectly fine going there.

Or, Possibility 2 – Something very bad happened to it, and I couldn't remember it because it was a referenced past event.

I decided to err on the side of caution and increase my pace somewhat. I wasn't going to sprint, as I would look like an idiot if I was wrong and also would use all of my energy, a bad idea if something actually _did _go wrong.

I was driven mainly by a sense of paranoia, so when it was suddenly replaced with an eerily familiar sense of calm.

"What the heck?" I said to myself in surprise, grinding my steps to a sudden halt. I frowned. Something was clearly wrong. The last time this happened, I was fighting for my life, so I was hardly keen on encountering anything that dangerous so soon afterwards.

**[Huh? Why are we stopping?] **

"Something doesn't feel right…" I muttered quietly. In response, I heard the sound of a hand slapping against a forehead.

**[Ah, of course! I never finished explaining! There's a little more we need to go over.] **

"More?" I groaned. The explanation of the Stats alone took long enough for me to be found by evil monsters, so I dreaded to think on another lengthy series of monologues.

**[Oh don't be so dramatic! I'll keep it short this time. Just use the command 'Skills'.] **

"_Skills" _I thought instantly. Another box appeared, this one with two listed pieces of text. I could only assume that 'Skills' were meant to refer to some type of special abilities. There were only two listed.

"Gamers' Mind, huh? Sounds familiar…" I muttered, tapping the icon. A smaller box of text appeared in front of the first one, this one giving a description.

**[Gamers' Mind – The User will be capable of staying calm and level-headed in even the most crazy situations. Furthermore, the User is immune to mental attacks such as illusions. Their emotional state is kept level for the trials ahead.] **

"That's… a little creepy, actually." I said. Frankly, I wasn't comfortable with the idea of the System messing with my head and suppressing my emotions. "Can I turn these off? Or at least adjust them?" I asked. The System seemed hesitant to respond.

**[You **_**can **_**turn them off, but I'd have to caution against doing so… A panic attack isn't really the best idea right now…] **

"I take offence to that!" I replied. "Besides, I had one scheduled for around now anyway." I added sarcastically. I tapped the icon again, and the Skill turned off.

And then, my mind hit me like a truck.

Fear. Excitement. Sadness. Rage. The sudden force of it all was enough to make me stagger back, clutching my head for stability. My breath came out in ragged breaths.

"Okay, calm down. You're fine. Everything's fine." I hissed out, my head pounding. The System seemed shocked and called out to me.

**[Are you okay?! I can turn it back on if you-] **

"No!" I called out. I took another moment to calm myself before explaining. "No thanks. I'd rather feel the full force of all this now anyway. I was going to have to deal with it sooner or later. And hey! Now I can still have panic attacks!" I sighed blissfully. "My life feels normal again." I quipped.

**[Hmm. Okay, but at least keep it on in combat. You don't wanna freeze up in battle.] **

I was cautious, but decided to agree, nodding my head. The System let out a sigh of relief.

**[Thanks. Anyway, the other one's called Gamers' Body. It means that you'll be immune to most physical injuries aside from HP loss. You also won't have to eat, drink, or sleep unless you choose to. Trust me, it's handy to keep on.] **

I sighed, catching the hint. "Fine, I'll keep that one on." I gave in. The System sighed herself, this time in relief. At least this one wouldn't mess with my head. But something struck me as odd.

"Wait, if I'm immune to injury, what was with the blood from the Beowolf fight?" I asked.

**[Theatrics. It had to be exciting!] **

I blinked. "You're kidding, right?"

**[Nope!] **

"I almost _died!" _

**[And it was awesome!] **

"Not the point!" I yelled. "You can't just risk my life like-" A growl took me out of my thoughts and I froze. It couldn't be…? Right?

Right?!

"System, Is there another Beowolf behind me?" I whispered through gritted teeth.

**[Uh… Yes. **_**One **_**Beowolf. Just one.] **

"More?" I winced.

**[Maybe a few more, yeah…] **

"I should run, right?"

**[Good plan. Do exactly that!] **

The System hadn't even finished speaking before I was charging off, terrified. I heard several howls behind me, and then the pounding of hard animalistic paws. Only one thought escaped from my mouth.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME TWIIIIIICEEEEEEE!"

* * *

Jaune Arc was having a great time on his camping trip. Or, he would be, if it wasn't for his seven sisters constantly trying to badger him into letting them mess with his hair. Or them trying to push him into the mud for a joke. Or, just messing with him in general.

Aside from that, he was having a great time! The village of Xion was great this time of year. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and –

"Ow!" he was interrupted from his thoughts by a sudden knock to his chest. Someone had just ran full force into him, and the person in question had collapsed at his feet.

"Hey, watch where you're…" He trailed off, looking at the direction the person had just come from. "Going…" He finished, his throat suddenly dry.

Beowolves. There was a pack of six Beowolves. And they were getting closer.

The person in front of him, lying on the ground, looked where he was, and the two then looked back at each other. They reacted in the exact same way.

Screams ran through the air.

The monsters charged soon after.

* * *

**[Readers! Back so soon? I see you couldn't get enough of my wonderful explanations! Unfortunately, instead of me, you'll have another message from the Author. Transcribing now...] **

**_As promised, here's Chapter 3! I just couldn't leave it at the cliffhanger end of last chapter, and wanted to try some more action this time around. I think it turned out OK, but action isn't exactly my strong suit... (Why I chose to write about an action show I have no idea...). _**

**_Also, a few cameos! Oscar's appearance was just for a bit of fun, though maybe it'll come up later... Who knows? Me, but I'll never tell. ;) Jaune on the other hand is probably going to have a more significant role next time. But I'm afraid I'll have to leave you here, readers. Much to do, stories to write, etcetera. _**

**_I'll see you in the next level! _**

**[Transcription End. Well, I should probably go. I have a feeling I'll be needed for what happens next. See Ya! Assuming we're not all dead by then...] **


	4. Chapter 4 - Golden Fields Conclusion

**R(emnant)PG Update 1.1! **

**Chapter 004 – Golden Fields Conclusion **

For a brief moment, my perception of time remained completely still. Staring down at an approaching pack of creatures of pure evil that glared deep into my silver eyes and seemed intent on removing them hastily from my new head made my body go stiff. My breath hitched, and all I could think of was how I was going to die so soon.

I was lucky that the System could recognise my panic, and act accordingly.

**[Emergency override, activating GM!] **

"Wha-?!" My mind was calmed and focused before I even had the time to finish my surprise. Hastily, I grabbed the man standing behind me – John; I think his name might have been? He looked kind of like a John, or something similar. It was on the tip of my tongue - and threw myself and him several feet to the side. The beasts formed a savage pile for a moment, but any hope of escaping in their confusion was dashed by their impressive speed. I barely had the time to blink before they clambered back up and snarled towards us.

Meanwhile, I was stuck lying on a random stranger, who it must be said was_ surprisingly_ muscular. For whatever reason, I found the situation somehow funny, and I couldn't help but laugh deliriously. I can only guess I was losing my mind.

That is, more so than I had in the last few hours. I looked at the man under me, who showed a mix of pure terror and confusion. I could relate.

"Hi!" I said. Even with Gamers' Mind activated, my voice still shook. "Sorry if this is too forward." I quipped. His terror was briefly swapped with confusion. I hastily managed to get us both up, a task that seemed slightly straining, even with my new body. My voice became more serious as I made to push him away from both myself and the Grimm.

"Run! I'll try and keep them back until help arrives, but you have to go!" I yelled. The man looked to me in shock, and found his voice.

"Are you insane?! You'll die!" He screamed. His voice sounded very familiar to me. I resolved to make a note of that and find out more later, but for now I had other priorities. Six other priorities, to be exact. One was already bounding towards me, and I hastily managed to block its charge into my body. I gasped as the pain hit me. My arms burned and felt like they would snap off at any moment. My legs pounded, being dug into the mud. Still, I managed to remain standing, so I think I was still winning.

And by winning, I mean staying alive for longer than ten seconds.

Hey, it was longer than I lasted in _Dark Souls_! And that had _much _less risk of actual death!

"DUDE, JUST RUN ALREADY!" My words came out strangled by the screams of panic I fought to hold back. I had to look like I could do this. Like I wasn't about to die. Otherwise, he wouldn't run, and we'd both die.

The guy seemed to hesitate for a moment longer, before he seemed to scramble to his feet. I didn't see him, but I was sure he had ran based on the sounds. I small grin slipped onto my face.

"Well, that's one problem solved…" I gritted out. Straining my arms further, I managed to force the beast back. I leapt back a few feet, hastily trying to catch my breath. The pack all seemed hesitant to make another attack, instead slowly pacing around me and growling.

"OK, I'm screwed…" I muttered. Were it not for Gamers' Mind, I would no doubt be dying a horrible, screaming death right about now. As it was, even the calming effects of the Skill at its peak failed to stop my body from shaking. Mostly from fear, but I won't lie and say that there wasn't some level of excitement in my head.

"System, please tell me you have a way out of this…" I pleaded. Whilst I was making a noble sacrifice, I didn't do so with the want to die so quickly, which was seeming more like an inevitability. System – who I only just realised needed a better name than 'System' for me to use- responded much more panicked than myself. It was both surprising and unsettling.

**[I-I don't – I have no – I-I can't -] **

"Please hurry!" I yelled through gritted teeth. One of the beasts had already begun to rush back into the fray, and I barely managed to dodge its claws. It managed to cut into my right arm, and I screamed in pain. Fortunately, Gamers' Body meant that both the cut and the pain only lasted for a second, but I was sure that I would remember the feeling.

I was also sure that I didn't have long to do anything, as I leapt back in an attempt to gain some distance.

**[I-I may be able to do something, but it's pretty risky-] **

"Just do it!" I called out, interrupting her words. Whatever was at risk, it had to be less than my life on the line for this. I just had to hold out hope that I would survive, no matter how bad it was. System answered my desperate plea quickly.

**[Okay, I'll conduct a Forced Upload. There isn't time to explain, so just… empty your head!] **

"Empty my-?" Before I could finish speaking, two things happened. The first was another charge from the dreaded Beowolf. It leapt towards me, fangs extended to try to rip my flesh to sunders. A moment ago, I would have been near defenceless against it, but that was before the second thing occurred.

My head was almost completely blank, aside from one thing. The only things in my mind were combat techniques and strategies.

**[FORCED UPLOAD – C.Q.C SKILL COMPLETE!] **

I didn't have the time to notice any words on the panel that had appeared before me, and just as quickly vanished. In an instant, I rushed forwards to meet my attacker, and delivered a high kick straight to the best's jaw. It snapped shut and with an audible crunch, I had forced the creature to bite its own tongue off. It made a howl of anguish, prompting two more of the creatures to dive in. I swiftly grabbed the first one by the arm, and with a great heave, I swung it straight into the pouncing two.

The creatures were forced back, but I didn't stop there. I doubt I had any idea _how _to stop. It didn't fit with my current programming, for want of a better term. Within moments, I had my claws drawn, and it was my turn to pounce.

* * *

Jaune Arc would have liked to say he had made a brave tactical retreat, or even that he had managed to get away with his dignity intact. Unfortunately, the truth was much less satisfying and far more reason for Jaune to change his underwear when he got back.

"_If I get back…" _He tried not to think it, but he couldn't help himself. Whoever that stranger was, he had no delusions that one man could stand against six Beowolves without a weapon and expect to come out as anything more than Grimm food.

That was what he thought, until he heard the sound of one of the beasts die.

It was a repulsive sound, though strangely encouraging. A bloody squelch followed swiftly by a roar of pain. Then a sound like sand pouring down an hourglass, then silence.

"Ha…Ha…." The stranger's deep, ragged breaths rang out. Somehow, they overpowered the growls of the creatures. Jaune turned, finding the stranger glaring at where the beast had once been. His right hand was outstretched and bloody, with claws on his fingers that reminded Jaune of some kind of big cat. They were dyed red with… whatever Grimm had in place of blood. Did they even bleed, or was it the man's own arm that was bleeding? Jaune had no idea, and neither did most people.

"That's it…!" The stranger gloated. "You want more?! 'Cause I can keep this up- Argh!" before he could finish, he suddenly clutched his head in pain. He stumbled back for a moment, and the Grimm took the advantage. They charged forwards and their claws struck him fiercely. He screamed in apparent agony as he was suddenly pinned down.

They had him. He was pinned, claws pressing down on his flesh. Jaune could see faint trails of blood around the man, as his screams continued. He struggled, managed to push one off, and another was upon him.

"_This is it." _Jaune realised. _"He's going to die, then they'll get me. And then…" _He thought about his family. They weren't far behind. His mother, his father, his seven sisters, they were all still back in Xion. It wasn't a long distance away, especially for the Grimm. They would set upon the town. There was no way the town could hold them off. And the ensuing chaos would attract more Grimm…

He wasn't sure he would ever understand what made him do what he did next. He just knew it was the right choice.

"HEY!" He yelled, drawing the attention right to him. The red glowing eyes would normally make him hesitate, and he couldn't deny the quiver in his legs. But still, he couldn't stop now.

He charged.

* * *

"No, no, no, get back!" I yelled. Just saying the words felt like knives were driving through my skull, but I had to scream. The idiot, the absolute _moron_ had decided to run _towards _the giant nightmare wolves that were busily tearing through my torso.

Because clearly, _that _was the best course of action.

"RUN!" I called out, but he wasn't listening. His blue yes glared venomously into the Beowolves, as if that would somehow intimidate them. It was then that I managed to get a good luck at his face. Finally, I recognised him.

Jaune Arc. My saviour, was Jaune Arc. The weakest character, who didn't even have Aura, a weapon, or really anything that would allow him to fight.

And yet, here he was, leaping into battle to save _me, _the guy with reality-warping superpowers, whilst I laid flat on my back, unable to do anything.

"_Fuck" _

He leapt onto a Beowolf's back, grappling its throat. It stood up suddenly and began thrashing around wildly. Jaune struggled, his legs dangling out from the beast's back. But he managed to hold on.

And he managed long enough to grant me an opening.

The confusion expressed by the rest of the pack as this new challenger entered the fray made them pause from scratching me up. I slid out suddenly and swiftly, and I let the System take over again.

"Reload!" I exclaimed, and once again, my head held nothing but what I needed.

How to win.

* * *

After playing rodeo with a Beowolf, Jaune could say with absolute _certainty_ that he needed new underwear. He held tightly onto the beast's neck as it thrashed around, struggling to get him off.

"_Come on," _He thought, struggling to hold on. _"Just a little tighter. I can do this!" _He tried to tell himself. He may not have been a trained fighter, and he _certainly _wasn't a Huntsman, at least not yet. But he was strong. He didn't look like it, but he was a lot stronger than most gave him credit for.

If he could just manage to tighten his hold a _bit _more, he might be able to snap its neck. Or at least, that was the plan. Those Spruce Willis movies made it look a lot easier than it really was.

There was a sharp 'SNAP' and suddenly, the creature went stiff, and both it and Jaune fell to the ground. Jaune hastily pulled himself off, finding the stranger standing in front of him. He had his arm in front of him once again, clutching what appeared to be a swiftly disintegrating piece of flesh. He had a grin that seemed more terrifying than the four remaining Grimm combined. Or at least, he did at first. Briefly, his expression went to confusion, and then seeming awe at him. Jaune might've looked embarrassed if it wasn't for the fact that there were still three Beowolves to worry about.

"Can't talk much." Jaune blinked as the stranger spoke. There was a hint of an unfamiliar accent in his voice. "The rest are mine." He grunted. He seemed to be having trouble speaking, as he turned swiftly back to another Beowolf. He entered a low stance, mirroring the monsters before him.

"Thanks for saving-" He cut himself off with a small groan. "Thanks." He simplified. "Now go!"

"But-" Jaune barely had the chance to get a single word out before he had charged off again. He had no idea how the stranger was moving so fast, but he had reached his opponent in an instant. He struck with a flurry of harsh slashes and scratches, so much so that he managed to push the creature off the ground.

Jaune blinked, and the creature was torn in half.

* * *

I wish I could remember _half _of what happened after I called for a reload. I'm pretty sure I tried to say some words to Jaune, but I could barely use a single syllable without my brain exploding and imploding all at once. I supposed that was what the 'System' – who still really needed a name, I managed to think. – meant when she told me to 'empty my head'

A Forced Upload worked by overwriting the mind with a new chunk of data. It took everything that was there, and crammed it all away for the required time. If you survived, a new skill would be yours.

The emphasis, unfortunately, is on _if_.

It was possible to die from this process if you weren't careful. The mind can only hold so much information before things got…messy for want of a better word. That wasn't even accounting for the risk of bodily harm. Some skills were designed with very specific requirements for the body. If you were to conduct a Forced Upload without meeting those, you would die immediately.

And of course, the enemies around you were _always_ a problem.

When I say that the Forced Upload puts everything in your mind away, I mean _everything_. Including the important stuff, like my health bar.

Still, from what I remembered, things went rather well. We were down to three Beowolves, which I thought was incredibly impressive given I'd only learnt how to fight about five minutes ago.

I don't quite remember the specifics, but I managed to take out another two of the Grimm pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure that my stats were boosted when I got the Forced Upload skill, at least temporarily. It sure felt that way, anyway. Every fibre of my being had this electric energy running through it, compelling me forwards.

"_Keep moving." _It seemed to say. _"Don't ever stop. Keep it going." _It was like living as one of those style metres from Devil May Cry. It was incredible, so long as I just let my body do the thinking for a bit. Admittedly, I wasn't super fond of that idea, but I had hoped that the Forced Upload 'high' would wear off once the battle was done.

There was just one left. It seemed a little larger than the others, and the bone plating around its head had grown to cover more of its body. I could tell just by looking at it that it was tougher, and I suspect my body had sensed as much, hence why it saved it for last. I think there was still at least one part of my conscious mind in there, though not a part I would've thought to do much with otherwise.

Maybe it was my terror, my panic in the face of death that still remained. Or maybe it was my excitement, my enthusiasm. I mean, I _was _killing giant evil fantasy monsters. It was hard to not be a _little _happy about it.

The risk of death may have tempered it, but a part of me was loving this.

Whatever it was, it kept my body flowing fast with adrenaline. I tensed my body, and in a moment, leapt towards the creature. I must've looked like a madman.

To be fair, that wouldn't have been too far off.

Based on how things felt afterwards, I know my opening hadn't gone very well. It slammed my body into the ground, or at least tried to. I was on my knees, but still not flat down yet. I seem to recall something flashing in the corner of my vision. Maybe I _was _going to pass out. It was hard to breath.

I managed to just barely roll out from under, and left a few punches at the monster's stomach. It grunted in pain, but it didn't howl like the others. I supposed it was obvious that it would've been made of sterner stuff. I rushed back, eager to stay out of range of its arms or legs. At least, for as long as I could. It charged forth, and I was flung backwards. Catching myself before I could slam into a tree or a wall was the hard part, but I just about managed. I was pretty thankful to have Gamer's Body then, otherwise I was sure that I would've broken several of my bones. I quickly scanned around with my eyes. No trees nearby were quite big enough that I felt sure they could pin this thing down, so that was out. I wanted to scan for a weapon but trying to do so made whole brain boil.

"Gah!" A sudden exclamation was forced out of my mouth, as in an instant, the beast had closed in on me, and with its large clawed fist it had levelled an uppercut at my stomach. The corners of my vision proceeded to go red.

It was easy to tell that this thing was above me in terms of stats. I didn't need to be able to see the numbers to figure that out. Exactly _how _far above me it was, I wished I could tell. I hadn't come out of the fight with its pack unscathed, but it was still insanely damaging by comparison. I wanted to run.

Unfortunately, 'running away' was not some kind of special technique I could use, and my body had very different ideas.

It tried to make several swings at me, but it seemed to be going slower than before. I could only assume that its instant dash towards me had been some kind of skill that would be on cooldown. Admittedly, that only made sense if we were both operating on the same rules – stats, healthbars, numbers and the like. The G.A.M.E.R. system was unique to me, but I didn't know if it affected the world around me. Maybe being around the system caused it to apply itself to the Grimm?

It managed to graze me as I flinched, brought on by the burning sensation my musings had brought. A smatter of blood shot out before the wound closed up. I couldn't tell if the System was just being theatrical or this was some sign of Gamer's Body starting to degrade with the damage I was taking, but I wasn't keen on finding out. I leapt back, but it seemed to recharge and closed the distance.

In that instant, the part of my real mind still present overtook my new natural instincts. I couldn't move, and yet the way I was shaking indicated no paralysis.

It was fear. I could tell that this moment was it. This was where I would die.

Game Over.

And then I heard the sound of shattering glass against its back.

* * *

Jaune honestly had no idea why he had stayed. He knew he should have ran, he should've left as fast as his legs could carry him. Maybe he would be able to find some backup. Maybe his father could help. Running was most definitely the best thing he could do.

But he remained.

He saw the stranger take on another two Beowolves, quickly disposing of them. It was fierce and swift, and the stranger fought fiercest of all. Even without the claws on his hands, he appeared as an animal. And yet, his motions carried a clear and deliberate strategy. Every action appeared as though it had been planned, rehearsed dozens of times before this encounter and yet somehow fresh.

Soon, it was just the Alpha that remained. The stranger looked tired. It seemed he was running on pure adrenaline to keep himself conscious, let alone fighting. Still, he held his arms out and took a stance.

Jaune stumbled back, surprisingly in time with the stranger's initial charge. Their faces seemed to be two sides of the same coin, Jaune with mad terror, and the stranger with mad glee.

When Jaune stumbled back onto the ground, he expected his hand to run into the grass beneath him, and that was why it surprised him to find his hand landing on a small pile of what felt like card. He looked down, and found something most peculiar.

There was a small pile of Lien right where his hand was. Just lying there, on the ground. A cursory glance gave him a rough idea of about twenty-five Lien. Certainly more than he had on him. Had the stranger dropped it? No, Jaune felt sure that he had not seen this either. He glanced around the area, and it seemed that there were similar piles scattered all around. Mostly just more Lien. It had to total at least a hundred.

It was hard to tell exactly, given the fairly featureless terrain, but each pile seemed to originate from where one of the Beowolves had died. Jaune spotted one positioned at the exact spot the Beowolf he had tried to strangle was killed. In that pile, there appeared to be a small glass bottle, closed with a wooden cork and filled with something purple and bubbling.

"_Poison." _Jaune thought. _"It's some kind of poison. But how'd it get here-?" _His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp scream. The stranger had been slammed back by the Alpha Beowolf. It looked like he had spat blood from his mouth as he staggered back. Jaune panicked for a moment, and scrambled to his feet.

He looked again at the bottle, the apparent poison on the field. Then back towards the battle, where the stranger was hurriedly dodging the beast's swift blows. In his panicked mind, an idea formed. An idea that was probably –no, _certainly _crazy. He really should've ran.

He should've stayed away.

He should've fled by now.

But instead, he picked up the bottle.

He raised his arm, and tossed it. It landed right on the beast's back.

It turned.

"Oh no…" It was at this point, Jaune realised, that he had screwed up.

* * *

It was at this point that I knew, I had screwed up.

Not only had I failed to get Jaune away from the danger, he seemed to be getting actively involved. I mean, sure, he _was _saving my life, but that didn't make it okay! Why wasn't he running?

That was what I thought, before I noticed something. I could see an icon hovering over the Beowolf's head. A large purple skull.

At risk of my brain haemorrhaging, I managed to force my body to pull back. It was painful. My muscles seemed to burn, and it was like trying to move in a sea of lead. The action didn't look nearly as hard as it felt. Still, I managed.

Things started to get blurry, and I was sure that I had only minutes, possibly even just seconds until my consciousness faded. I tried not to think about how this might be the last time I closed my eyes. Both because of the sense of dread that brought, and the fact that thinking of anything other than advanced combat techniques would kill my brain.

That made my next course of action _immeasurably _painful.

I had to run.

I was quick enough to be able to grab Jaune by the arm, and it took a surprising amount of effort to pull him with me without breaking any of his bones. I had to guess that my stats had been boosted by the Forced Upload temporarily. It certainly explained why the Beowolves were so easy to deal with

"B-but what about-?!" Jaune tried to protest as I pulled him off, running fast in the direction of the village behind us. I struggled for a moment, trying to formulate an explanation that wouldn't kill my brain once and for all.

"Poison." I gritted out. "Status effect. Drains HP. Won't last." I was fairly sure that my explanation did little more than confuse him, but in my current state I couldn't manage anything more informative. It was giving me an impossible migraine just to say _that _much.

In the distance, I could still hear the Beowolf whining and groaning. By the way it sounded, it seemed likely that the poison would manage to kill it. I had no idea where exactly it had come from, but that could wait. Frankly, I was just glad that we could get out of this alive. If the thing died, even better.

The sounds it made reminded me less of an evil monster and more of my dog from back home. It was hard to listen to, and I didn't even want to watch. Fortunately, as my vision began to fade and we made it to the entrance to the village, I didn't have to.

My head hit the concrete path before I could even try to turn.

* * *

Jaune had no idea how to respond to what had just happened. Not only had he just faced a pack of Beowolves, but he had managed to _live _through it. That alone was incredible, even if it meant sacrificing his underwear.

As for the stranger who had saved him, he was similarly clueless about them. They had just shown up, and somehow they were able to kill several Grimm with their bare hands. And to be honest, even they looked kind of surprised that they were managing. With a moment to catch his breath, Jaune figured out what exactly the manic grins of the stranger were.

He was glad to have survived. They both were, it would seem.

"Jaune?!" Jaune turned to find his father staring at him in shock and worry. He had a sword strapped to his hip and was wearing some armour over his torso. Maybe he had heard the commotion just outside the village, or maybe was searching for him. Jaune couldn't quite remember if he had told his family he was heading out for what was supposed to be a brief stroll or not. It might've slipped his mind.

"Dad!" he ran forth and embraced his father. It helped to properly calm him down after what had just happened.

"Are you Ok? What happened?" His father straightened him and took him by the shoulder. Jaune took a breath and began to explain what exactly had happened. His father nodded along and helped to ease him into the retelling. It sounded as though it had taken several hours, but in all honesty the encounter was barely over a single hour long. When he was done, his father looked over at the stranger, who had seemingly collapsed behind him.

"Is that the man who helped you?" He walked over and knelt down to examine him more closely. "He doesn't look like the type of guy who could take on a whole pack of wild Grimm single-handedly." He raised an eyebrow at Jaune, seemingly doubting his story.

"Y-yeah, I'm surprised he pulled it off too." Jaune admitted. Now that he could get a better look at him, the stranger looked not too dissimilar to himself. If he hadn't seen it for himself, he really would've doubted his capabilities.

"He doesn't look injured…" His father examined the stranger's unconscious body carefully. Jaune raised an eyebrow. He was _sure _that he had seen blood on him. How could he be uninjured? Hell, he was left unconscious on the ground! There was no way he had taken no damage!

"Well, we should probably get him out of the street in any case." His father said, before hauling the body of the stranger up onto his back. Jaune nodded, though a little uncertain.

"What's his name?" Jaune thought for a moment, before coming to a realisation.

"I… don't even know." He admitted.

* * *

I found myself staring into a void, filled with faint whispers of smoke. It looked just like the place where I had made my character. My new body.

"Wow. That's still not quite sunk in." I said to myself. I supposed I still hadn't taken much time to process everything that had happened. All of these new things that had happened to me.

And all those old things I had left behind in the process. Like my name. _Our _name…

**[Feel free to take a minute now. It's just us here.] **

The System's voice surprised me, and I turned to find myself facing a vaguely feminine humanoid figure. They were featureless but for ones and zeroes that streamed across their form. They glowed a sky blue colour.

"Ok…" I said hesitantly. "Where are we, exactly?"

**[Technically, you're in the village of Xion. It's not too far from the kingdom of Mistral. As for **_**this?**_**] **

She gestured around to the void we had found ourselves in.

**[This is just a dream I've hijacked. I figured we should probably talk.] **

"What about?" I was still very unsure of my circumstances.

**[Everything, I suppose.] **

* * *

**[Hey, readers! Glad to see you all again. I've got another message from the Author, so I'll let him talk for a while. Transcribing… **

_**Hey all! Sorry this took so long to come out. I didn't mean for it to take so long, but, well… lots of real life stuff happened, and I found myself busy. I still want to write more of this story though! I've got a LOT planned. **_

_**This chapter might've felt a bit rough. I'm still getting back into the feel of it, especially with first-person writing. I don't do that a lot, so it's rather refreshing, if a bit unusual. That's really all I've got to say for just now. **_

_**Oh, actually one more thing! I know it's been a while, but I had some excellent Guest reviews on this story I wanted to mention. Actually, all the reviews have been excellent! I love all of you! But the one I'm mentioning had a few points of constructive criticism that I really appreciated. I'm working on addressing those points soon, so I just wanted to quickly mention one or two. I really want to give 'System' a proper name, so that's coming very shortly, probably next chapter. **_

**[In what way is that short…?] **

_**Quiet, you! Anyway, they also mentioned a few more mechanics relating to the G.A.M.E.R system itself, which again I hope to address within the next one or two chapters. Just wanted to mention. **_

_**Anyway I've rambled on for too long. **_

_**I hope to see you in the next level! **_

**[Transcription End. Well, there you have it folks! Hopefully, I'll have a proper name to sign off with when we next meet. Until then, See Ya!]**


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